The Dancing Heart
by HecateA
Summary: With Frank away on Order business, it's Alice's first time alone with the baby and she has no idea what secret she needs to crack or miracle she has to summon to calm him down and wipe away those tears of his. Oneshot.


**Author's note: **Written with prompts from Amanda over at Hogwarts' Gift Tag. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

**Hogwarts: **Ancient Runes Task #3, Write about uncovering a secret

**Warnings: **Anxiety about parenthood

* * *

**The Dancing Heart **

It happened.

Obviously, it was bound to happen. She had known and Frank had known that he and Sirius were being sent on a rather intricate mission for the Order, and they'd definitely be following Malfoy for at least a day, if not more. So yes, Alice had _known _in that hypothetical way that the baby would wake up while she was home alone with him. But the reality of it hit her just as the baby's screeching did.

Chewing her lip, she put down her book and tightened her cardigan around herself before rushing over to the baby's nursery. The walls were a happy green colour that came to life when Alice flicked on the light. Neville was safely tucked away in his crib, though it would be impossible to tell, judging by the way he was screaming bloody murder. He pulled at Alice's heartstrings immediately.

"Hello again," Alice said. She didn't have enough arms to mind the baby and wipe vomit out of her hair if he woke up and spat up on her, as he frequently did, so she put her hair up in a hasty ponytail before scooping up her son. She eased the baby against her chest and patted his back, trying to be soothing. "Yes, hello again mister…"

Neville cried, not acknowledging her in the slightest. Alice bobbed him up and down.

"Alright," she said, taking a deep breath. Back when they'd been in school, Frank had been exceptionally good at Ancient Runes—he always seemed to know exactly what a few scribbles criss-crossing each other were trying to say before Alice had even figured out which way to read it. He was like that with the baby, too. He always knew exactly what to do for Neville. Alice, meanwhile… not so much. Everything her mother-in-law and aunts had told her about motherhood unlocking a secret sense within her was absolute bogus, as far as she could tell. Her little bundle of joy had as much mystery to him as he had adorable cheeks and beautiful eyes.

"Alright," Alice said again, as if she was trying to buy herself time. For what? The baby was still crying. She bobbed Neville up and down. She could feel through those adorable pajamas that the Potters had gotten them that the baby's diaper was still dry, so she could check that off her list of potential problems. Alice was good with lists, so she began checking things off her mental list when assessing the baby's situation like a crime scene.

"Are you hungry?" Alice asked. "We haven't done that in a while, I suppose, since baby-time works as your own personal time zone… come on sweetheart, let's give eating a try…"

She sat in the rocking chair in the corner and popped the buttons of her shirt open but Neville was absolutely uninterested in eating. If anything, the shouting got worst.

"Alright," Alice said, getting back to her feet. "Do babies need to be burped even if they haven't eaten? Neville, love, is that something with you lot?"

Neville, of course, answered by screaming which wasn't helpful per se but definitely made it clear to Alice that there was no such thing as a bad idea at this time.

"Alright," she said, kissing the baby's forehead before throwing a burp blanket over her shoulder and repositioning her baby.

She tried and tried, but nothing.

She tried rocking in the rocking chair, she held him in a thousand positions, she tried singing all the lullabies she knew—even Frank's signature lullabies that always seemed to put the baby to sleep… nothing. Neville was still wide-eyed and red-cheeked and sobbing. Alice's heart broke a bit and she started to panic, despite the cool disposition she was known for and all the Auror training that had taught her not to panic in emergencies. Was it always going to be like this? Was she always going to be this lost and confused and incapable of a mother? Was she only able to do something right for Neville when Frank was around, smiling and cheering the two of them on and helping? Because she was a mother now, she had the Cesarean scar and stretch marks and itchy nipples to prove it, and so she was going to have to do better than this. Besides, times were dark—what if something happened to Frank at work or with the Order or when he was walking down the street; then Neville would be down not just a parent but down his only competent one and…

Alice took in a sharp breath, trying to calm herself down. That wasn't helpful, it wasn't necessary, and it wasn't kind. The baby was crying. She had to focus on that, but she could feel her hands shaking.

She got up from where she sat on the floor, leaning against a wall, and crossed the room to the radio that sat on the changing table. Frank had brought it in, saying that the music helped distract him from the especially odorous diapers he sometimes had to change. Alice always calmed down better with music on, and so she fiddled with the dial until a jazzy song began filling the room.

Even with the baby's screaming competing with the melody, Alice couldn't help but hum the familiar song under her breath. She was swaying to its notes and highs and lows, actually. And by some miracle, the baby started quieting down in her arms. At this point, she put the pieces together.

"Dancing, is it?" she asked Neville. "You like dancing, sweetheart…"

Neville's head was resting against her chest now, and Alice couldn't help but laugh at herself.

"Is that your secret, baby boy?" she asked. "You've got a dancer's heart?"

She laughed again and kissed his forehead, letting her lips and her nose linger against Neville's beautiful wisps of hair for a moment longer. She took in the scents of baby powder and the softness of his skin for another moment, as she continued dancing in the nursery.

Dancing. If being a mum was just about dancing, then Alice could do that.

She smiled against Neville's forehead. They could do this.

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**Stacked with: **MC4A; Shipping Wars; Hogwarts; Not Commonwealth

**Individual Challenge(s): ** Fore-Touch; Small Fry; Brush; Seeds; Baby Mine; Minerva's Migraine; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Family); Themes & Things B (Innocence); Themes & Things C (Blanket); Themes & Things F (Childhood); Rian-Russo Inversion; In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux

**Word Count: **1030


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